Dart Mining (ASX:DTM) is preparing to launch a 3,000m diamond drilling program via DDH1 (ASX:DDH) at the Dorchap Lithium Project, located within the Mitta Mitta Project in Victoria.
The company reports this program will begin on 24 March, and will be completed across 6 pegmatite targets which have demonstrated lithium mineralisation in previous surface chip sampling.
Commenting on the upcoming drill program, Dart Mining Chairman James Chirnside says: “We are very excited to see our joint venture (JV) partnership with SQM (Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile) progress to the drilling of these targets.
Drill testing of these initial dyke targets is the first step in a comprehensive evaluation of the lithium-bearing dyke swarms identified by Dart Mining geologists, and a major increase in project staffing, activity and newsflow. We look forward to updating shareholders throughout this exciting maiden drilling program.”
In 2016, Dart’s geologist first identified the lithium prospectivity of pegmatite dykes in the Dorchap Range and set about acquiring exploration leases across the region.
These are the first recorded lithium pegmatites identified in Victoria, and are believed to have been sourced from the nearby Mount Wills Granite. A regional sampling program consisting of 826 samples has identified a ‘strong’ fractionation trend across the Dorchap Range, resolving a 20km by 12km zone of ‘strongly’ fractionated pegmatites bearing enriched lithium (Li), caesium (Cs), tantalum (Ta), beryllium (Be), and tin (Sn) mineralisation.
The company says this sampling program saw some ‘rewarding’ results including 16m @ more than 530 parts per million (ppm) Cs2O, 0.32% Li2O, and 104ppm Ta2O5, and grab samples of 1.57% Li2O and 0.10% Ta2O5 at the Bluejacket Dyke in Glen Wills.
The initial, short drilling program in 2019 was followed by an airborne LiDAR mapping program early in 2021, which has allowed additional detailed mapping of pegmatite dykes that were previously overlooked in pockets of dense bush across the Dorchap Range.
Dart Mining is a Victorian exploration and development company aiming at evaluating and developing several historic goldfields, as well as substantiating a new porphyry province in Northeast Victoria.
The company says the area is prospective for base and precious metals including lithium, gold, silver, copper, molybdenum, zinc, tungsten, tin, tantalum, among other ‘important’ minerals. Dart’s project portfolio includes the Corryong, Mitta Mitta, Buckland, Buchan, Rushworth projects.
Images: Dart Mining NL & iStock
